As an avid kayak fisherman I've been at it for a few years but have always owned narrow "touring" type boats with sit-in cockpits. These boats are impossible to stand up in unless very wide. My preferance with kayak fishing is to paddle then get out and wade anyway. I do have outriggers which can be attached to my boat and this will stabilize it enough for standing (just barely) but I rarely use the pontoons in flowing water and find they're more trouble than they're worth. I can stand up in my canoe for short periods if I'm careful. The kayaks typically used in FL and off the CA coast are sit on top design and typically wider and more stable and can be fished standing up but it's a wobbly game. Pete41 is an avid "yakker" and may chime in on this thread.

It seems to me as a neophyte saltwater fly fisher that Striped Bass are held in higher reguard than false albocore- or as their called in Florida "little tunny". Why is that? Do they fight harder? They sure don't look prettier to me. Are they harder to catch? Is that they schooled up better?

Also- to fish for either of these species- Do you throw at the school? Into the bait fish? At the edges? Maybe this is somewhat self evident but I have never done this stuff so I have no idea.

Is this a needle in a haystack thing where you just hangout till you see baitfish?

Kid, False Albacore (AKA "Little Tunny," "Albies," "Fat Albert," "Bonito" etc) are held in different esteem depending on where you are. In the northeast, they're held in very high regard, esp by FFers and are widely targeted from Cape Cod down to NC. They don't grow as large as stripers but pound for pound fight harder making long runs into backing (something most stripers won't do, even the big ones). Albies are fast moving schooling fish and are usually targeted when they're actively feeding on the surface. When fish are breaking the surface or "blitzing" it's often best to cast a fly toward the edge of the mass of fish and splashing.Down in FL False Albacore are usually called "bonito." This is technically incorrect as the Atlantic Bonito is a different, although similar, gamefish. Although they fight just as hard in FL, folks down there regard them largely as trash fish. I guess folks down there have so many glamour fish to choose from that a great fighter like the False Albacore (and Great Barracuda, Jack Crevalle etc) aren't considered worth the time and better put to use as shark bait.

I love the striper he can be caught in salt or fresh. In the surf , bay, just about anywhere. Hook a 40lber and hang on they can run...Stripers almost disapeared in the late 70's. They have made a remarkable comeback..My favorite fish to catch at the beach now is the cow nosed ray. They take crab flies well and a large one (over 50) can spool you. They make fantastic runs, sometimes even going air born..

The more I find out from the board, books from the library,dvds, etc... the less I know!

More questions-

Let's assume these questions are related to wading the Jersey Shore or close by.

How do you use the tides? Falling or rising? Moon? What are ideal conditions? How about winds?- blowing in I would think would help.

Again, I understand some of these questions could be very specifc to certain locations- but figured I would try anyway.Realize libraries of books have been written on these subject but figured- what the heck.

Most times- like when I visit Florida- it did'nt really matter anyway because I just fished all day, everyday.

For saltwater- what is important about the length of the rod? I see some are 9ft and some are 13ft and those are the same weight rod? I can understand the trout rods but not 100% about salt rods.

Reverting back to approching journeyman.

FI- ha, once when I was a kid I took a big boat (just drift in the current with 40 others on the boat) about a mile off West Palm and my dad caught a "bonito". And as soon as it was brought a board- one of the deck hands came over and unhooked it and threw it back before we even got a good look at it. . Said to us- "Can't eata bonita."

Kid, Yeah, the party boat folks down in FL don't look kindly on "bonita." I've hooked False Albacore on party boats in the Keys that were targerting Yellowtail Snapper and the boat hands want you to break the fish off when you hook one. Of course, they're right about the eating part - False Albacore have blood red meat that isn't considered edible. The famous salt fly rodder Lou Tabory says even his cats won't eat it. To complicate matters, the Atlantic Bonita that we have up here in the northeast is very good eating. Much of shallow water salt fishing revolves around tides. As a general rule, for northeast stripers, the fishing is usually best when the tide is pulling hardest. Slack tide often sees a noticeable decline in fish movement and feeding. Rod length in saltwater (like feshwater) has generally gotten longer in recent years although the standard fly rod is still 9' and this is my preferance. Wind is a much bigger enemy to salt FFrs than fresh - there are days that even with a shooting head, it's just too windy to FF and, in my opinion, it's better to break out spin tackle.

party boat Captains don't really like it when amberjacks or other jacks school around the baits as they take too long to land,cause ungodly messes,force some paying customers too wait while others play fish and most aren't really considered prize table fair.so they will usually move away.